[March 8th] [The Man From U.N.C.L.E.] She's the Devil in Disguise

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Title: She's the Devil in Disguise
Day/Theme: March 8th - She's gotta be outta my mind by now.
Series: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (specifically, The Odd Man Affair episode)
Character/Pairing: Mr. Ecks, Vivalene (OC), thoughts of Mr. Wye
Rating: K+/PG


By Lucky_Ladybug

The last thing Ecks thought he would encounter as he dressed and readied himself to leave the hospital at long last was Vivalene. The flirtatious mercenary knocked on the door, at the same time purring, “May I come in?”

Ecks utterly froze. He had to be imagining things. It couldn’t be her. It couldn’t be Vifa. There was no way she could have found out he was here.

Not unless . . . Wye told her.

Which he never, ever would have. He had despised that woman with every fiber of his being. He had scolded Ecks for his continuing fascination with her.

“A woman like that ain’t worth a ruddy halfpence. She’s out to get you for everything you’ve got. The next time you see her, if you do, just tell her to bugger off.”

Not that it made much difference. She never took No for an answer.

Ecks hadn’t even thought about her for ages, which was one reason why her appearance in his hallucination had bewildered him so much.

“What do you want?” he grunted. “I’m not decent.”

She pushed the door open and leaned on the doorframe with a smirk. “Neither am I,” she quipped, “but it sounds like a boring way to live. People like you and me, we have to live on the edge.”

Ecks swiftly buttoned his shirt before turning around. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. “For you to know I’m here at all, you must also know that it’s a secret.”

She shrugged and advanced into the room. Curiously enough, she was wearing a blue dress similar to her attire in his vision. The butterfly sleeves fluttered as she moved. She was a picture of beauty, as always, but a deadly beauty.

Ecks snatched her wrists. “Tell me,” he said darkly.

“My, but aren’t we touchy today.” Vivalene started to lean into him, looking up at him with a satisfied smirk. “I learned from the only person who could have told me. We both know that.”

Ecks shoved her back. “He would never tell you where to find me!” His eyes flashed. “Lie about anything you want to, but not that.”

“Surely you’ve wondered why he hasn’t come?” Undaunted, Vivalene started to circle him. He tensed, turning with her to follow her movements. “He doesn’t love you anymore. Out of sight, out of mind. Zed used you as a scapegoat and said that you were the only traitor. Wye is still furthering Zed’s plans to take over and betray the organization. I’m his new partner.”

“Rubbish!” Ecks tried to push her away again and get out of her predatory circle, but she caught his wrist and drew him to her. Still weakened, he stumbled against her in shock.

“Poor Ecks,” she whispered. “Poor, abandoned boy.” She ran her well-manicured hand through his blond hair.

Ecks stared at her. He had always found her touch enthralling, her eyes tantalizing, her lips . . .

She pressed her lips against his. “Wye sent me here to kill you,” she said softly. “But I don’t want to. I’d rather take you away with me.”

He couldn’t trust her. He knew he couldn’t trust her. To do otherwise went against every aspect of his training. And it went against his friendship with Wye.

“Wye is dead,” he said coldly, pulling away from her. “One of his last wishes was for me to get better. I have, and I’ve got no intention of ruining it with you.”

Vivalene looked at him, angry as well as amazed. “You liked me in the past,” she said.

“No,” Ecks retorted. “I found you interesting in the past. But I never liked how you always put Wye down and tried to convince me to go away with you. You’re just doing more of the same now, it’s true, but knowing that Wye’s dead makes it even worse. You’re still putting him down, only now he can’t defend himself.” His eyes burned. “I want to know how you found out about me. I want the truth. If you still won’t cooperate, I’m sure we can find something in this room that will loosen your tongue.” Torture was more Wye’s department. But by now Ecks was furious and he was willing to try intimidation and threats.

Vivalene looked like she realized she was playing with a rattler. “Alright,” she said grudgingly. “Not everyone bought the story Mr. Zed told about you. He did use you as a scapegoat, but it didn’t last long. He’s dead now and your organization knows he was the ringleader of the traitors. Of course, they realize Mr. Wye was also involved. And you’re right, he is dead.”

Ecks had long ago insisted on telling himself over and over that Wye was gone. Vivalene’s words should have only been further proof of what he already knew. Instead, the news once again struck a blow. “How?” he demanded.

“Shot in the back,” Vivalene said flippantly. “It was an accident, of all the ironies. But once they realized he had been a traitor too, they considered themselves fortunate the accident had happened.”

Ecks turned away, crossing to the window. Wye was dead then. It was all such a waste; he should have still been alive. Why couldn’t he have made it out as well? Ecks’ survival had been against all odds. Wye should be alive. He should be alive. . . .

“I started investigating your disappearance and learned that someone resembling Wye took someone resembling you out of the park. Zed’s story was that Wye discovered you were a traitor, the two of you fought, and you were killed in an explosion. I had a hard time buying that you weren’t in on things together. And if you were, where had you gone? I started wondering if you were alive. I looked at every patient in every hospital who even vaguely met your description. When I came here and asked about you, I knew I’d finally come to the right place.”

Ecks frowned. “If the organization knows by now that we were all in on things, then they could also easily wonder if I’m alive. They could find me just like you did.” He stepped back. “Maybe you are working for them and you really did come here to kill me.”

“Mr. Wye did everything he could to make them believe you were dead,” Vivalene sneered. “As I understand it, he even went to a morgue and found a body resembling you somewhat. It had been burned beyond any real recognition. He presented it to the organization and they accepted it as you. After they learned you were all in on things together, they looked into the matter a little but gave up. They didn’t learn about Wye taking you out of the park and decided to believe that the explosion that ‘killed’ you had been an accident, something meant for one of the leaders Zed had turned against. But of course Zed had to cover up that truth, so he pretended you were a traitor instead and had fallen into your own trap.”

“You know, I really don’t even know if you’re telling me the truth now,” Ecks remarked. “It could all be a lie.”

“It could,” Vivalene agreed. “But Wye loved you enough to try to make sure they would never find you. Isn’t that touching?”

“It doesn’t mean anything to you,” Ecks growled. “You were just trying to discredit Wye a few moments ago.”

She sneered again. “I wanted to see if I could do it. I thought I might have a chance, after you’ve gone on all this time without him coming to see you. Instead, you still believe in him. Didn’t they teach you that emotional attachments are foolish?”

Ecks simply glared at her. “I want you gone. And this time, I don’t want to ever see you coming around again.”

“I’ll go, darling,” Vivalene replied. She headed for the door, not turning her back on him. “But you should get out of England as soon as possible. You probably shouldn’t ever come back.” She paused. “I honestly did want you to come with me.”

“Only so I could give you information about the organization, no doubt,” Ecks said. “I have nothing else of value to give you.”

“Oh, but you do, darling.” Vivalene smiled in a sickening and disturbing way. “Yourself.”

Ecks regarded her in disgust. “Get out.”

“As you say.” Vivalene winked at him before slipping into the corridor.

Ecks swore in his mind. He had already planned to leave England, so Vivalene wasn’t advising him of anything he didn’t already know. But she had certainly affirmed Wye’s opinion of her. And most disheartening, she had brought him news he had known but hated to hear the confirmation of.

He slowly pulled his coat on. Very soon now, he would be on a plane bound for somewhere else. America, perhaps. England and the organization would be left behind him. Wye would not, albeit only in Ecks’ thoughts.

I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you more about that woman, Wye. She’s poison.

Taking his fedora and sunglasses, he slipped out of the room.